A milestone in packaging technology

Two packaging lines at Henkel’s Viersen-Dülken site provide plenty of options in filling hair dye kits.

Thanks to the flexible packaging lines, a huge range of packaging variants can be handled, which ideally supports Marketing.

F44 robots place the individual components of hair dye kits into the packaging with great precision.

Robots erect the cartons with attached lids into the two-row tool within the Transmodul.

F2 robots transfer the closed cartons from the Transmodul to the discharge belt.

Requirements

Quick production, simple format changeovers, flexible product formats

The system provides freedom in designing the shape of boxes

Schubert scores points with Henkel due to two flexible packaging lines.

Henkel operates one of the world’s most modern production lines at its Viersen-Dülken site. The focus is on producing hair dyes. The company uses two highly flexible Schubert packaging lines to load and pack hair dye kits in different formats.

Solution

How does the solution meet the requirement?

Faster + more flexible = more efficient

The major benefits of both packaging lines: in production terms, is that they are up to 50 per cent quicker than traditional packaging lines. Furthermore, format changeovers can be carried out in an easier, more efficient manner. Above all, Schubert lines provide exceptional flexibility in terms of product formats. This means folding boxes can be processed and filled regardless of type. As a result, the customer has plenty of freedom in determining the format: for example, folding boxes can be designed with bevelled corners or in any other conceivable shape. This provides considerable flexibility for marketing. A further packaging option is the shaker.

At a glance

Quick format changeovers

Various loading options (such as folding boxes or shakers)

High line efficiency

Up to 50 per cent quicker than traditional packaging lines

Quote

“We have set a milestone with regards to technology and now have much greater flexibility in designing packaging for marketing purposes.”

Rolf Müller-Grünow, Site Manager

Technical Details

Automation solution is impressively efficient and flexible

Individual components of colouring products are fed partially from the previous process and partially from offline magazines. The corresponding infeed systems are always ready.

Quality assurance takes place using Schubert’s image recognition systems. With the exception of the stored packaging material, all components in the hair dye kit are checked by a scanner, then accurately inserted into the packaging by F44 robots following the successful quality assurance checks.

A carton with an attached lid is one of the packaging formats. In this case, flat carton blanks are erected in the first two sub-machines, then glued and transferred to the Transmodul in two rows. The same sub-machines can also be used after a format change, for example, to denest an alternative packaging variant such as shakers. Another sub-machine closes the cartons and moves them from the Transmodul onto the discharge belt. After a format change, the sub-machine can also be used to put lids on the shakers.